The apparent attack took place Tuesday morning in the mobile home that the victim shared with her daughter, located just three miles from the girl's school. The victim called authorities and said she had been attacked in the middle of the night while she was in bed, and that her daughter was missing.
Chris Stalinski, a neighbor, said she heard screaming noises from the home and thought someone had died next door. Another neighbor said the victim told her two people she didn't know smashed a lamp over her head. Slightly injured, she managed to escape.
Authorities said the trio tried several different methods to kill the mother. The details behind the victim's injuries were not disclosed, although she is said to be doing OK.
At first, the victim told police she believed her daughter had been kidnapped, but investigators would learn the teen and two 14-year-old friends had allegedly plotted murder. All three suspects attend Ranchero Middle School.
"Deputies determined they had conspired to kill the 13-year-old's mother. They had created a plan and they had attempted to follow through with that plan," said Jodi Miller with the San Bernardino County Sheriff's Department.
The girl and her friends, one girl and one boy, were all arrested Tuesday afternoon by deputies shortly after being interviewed. One was taken from class, the other two were found at home.
They were all charged with attempted murder, burglary and conspiracy. Prior to the arrests, none of the students had any trouble with the school or the law. The three teens are being held in juvenile detention.
The mother is trying to understand why her own daughter would want to kill her, telling Eyewitness News she doesn't have any idea. Another neighbor told Eyewitness News that the mother had plans to return to her native Mexico and wanted to take her daughter with her.
Yet investigators believe the motive may have been the 13-year-old's unwillingness to follow her mother's rules.
"I am just fearful that children nowadays feel that they need to rebel against their parents, their discipline, their curfews, anything just so they can go out and be with their friends," said parent Rebecca Cummings.
